Shattered Dreams (Dream #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

Charlie

I walk into the bar just after seven, and see it’s slower than usual, but it’s also a Monday. I head to the bar, seeing Brady behind it. “Hey,”

I say, looking around to see if I spot her, but she isn’t here.

The bell from the kitchen rings. “You can go get that and take it back to her,”

Brady suggests. “She’s in the back going over the menu for the party.”

“Okay.”

I walk over to the kitchen, finding the chef there smiling at me.

“Hello, Mr. Barnes.”

He nods at me. “You taking the food to Ms. Autumn?”

“I am.”

I pick up the plated burger. “Can I get one also?”

“Sure thing,”

he says and I walk out. It’s been two weeks since my parents have been to town. It’s also been two weeks that I’ve been at the bar every single night. I don’t think it’s a secret I’m there for Autumn, but I also haven’t come in the bar and made out with her in front of everyone. Not that I would care, but I know she would. Even though we go to bed with each other every single night, and it’s no secret when I leave her house and get home. I also don’t give a shit if anyone knows, but I want to make sure she’s ready for it. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve even helped out in the bar on nights when they’ve been slammed. Which has surprised everyone, including them. It’s like the black cloud of the Cartwrights has been lifted off them. But I also know it’s because of all the hard work Autumn has been doing to bring in new business. In fact, every single weekend their tables are full, turning them over three times. They are even talking about hiring someone.

I walk into the back and find her with her head down as she writes things on a paper. “Knock, knock, knock,”

I say. She glances up at me and looks exhausted. “Brought you food.”

She’s been working every single day for the past two weeks. Starting as early as I walk out of the house and finishing sometimes after midnight. Every single night we fall into bed with each other, and no matter what time I try to wake up before the alarm, I never do, and even when I do, she always wakes up when I get out of bed.

She smiles. “Thank you,”

she says as I walk around the desk and put the plate at the edge of the desk before leaning down and kissing her lips. “Hi,”

she murmurs softly when I let her go. “Is it busy out there?”

She motions with her chin toward the door.

“Nah,”

I reply, “about six tables. I think he has it covered. Eat.”

I point at the plate as she takes up a french fry and dips it in ketchup. “Are you almost done?”

“No.”

She shakes her head. “I never thought this party would be as big as it is,”

she admits, taking a bite of her burger and then offering it to me for me to take a bite of it. I shake my head, knowing that this is probably the only thing she’s eaten today. “When I brought this up,”

she says, “I thought maybe thirty people.”

“How many are you up to?”

I ask. She looks at me, and I can see her eyes light up.

“Seventy-seven,”

she replies. “Do you know how many people that is?”

I try not to laugh. “That’s like a lot. The max is a hundred, so I’m happy it’s almost there.”

“Where are you going to put them all?”

I ask and her whole face now lights up.

“We are going to close the bar for the day and do welcome cocktails in the bar. Then I’m going to have one side of the room cleared out and, on the other side, fit long tables down one wall to do a tasting menu. We are going to offer them chances to walk around. I want to get some of the pictures from back in the day set up all around with little facts about the company.”

“You did this?”

I ask, shocked about how creative she’s been. “All these ideas?”

“Yes.”

She laughs as she takes another bite of her burger. “I’ve been going crazy trying to get all the things here, and everyone, of course, is like cash only since we’re behind on some accounts, but we're catching up,”

she says, avoiding my eyes. “Thankfully, I have some money left, but it’s all gone after this.”

She takes a deep breath. “The next step is probably selling the house.”

She trails off, and I get angry. “That’s like the last thing I want to do. I don’t think I’m going to have to do it. Business has picked up so much, but I can see the sky from under the water.”

“Your father isn’t going to let you sell your house,”

I say, trying not to sound angry or tense.

“My father isn’t going to know.”

She shrugs. “I have to do what I have to do, Charlie. He’s not getting better, and I can’t have anything happen to him and have him, you know…”

She can’t say the words. “Worry that we’re going to lose the business.”

“Your father doesn’t give a shit about that, and you know it.”

I sit up. “He cares that you are taken care of.”

“I’ll be fine,”

she states, not sounding as convincing as she wants to be. “It’ll be fine.”

“It will, baby,”

I assure her softly and then look over to see Brady standing there with a plate.

“You order this?”

he asks of the plate in his hand.

“I did.”

I reach for the plate. “I’ll pay when I come out front,”

I say, and he looks at the two of us.

“I think we owe you anyway,”

he replies, turning and walking out of the room.

“How do I get a ticket to this event?”

I finally ask the question I’ve been dying to ask for the last two weeks since she started talking to me about it. Each day I would wait for her to ask me or wait to see if I saw anything on how to purchase tickets, but nothing.

“You want to come to the event?”

She picks up her burger as I pick up mine. This is as close as we’ve gotten to having dinner together since that one night.

“Of course, I want to come to the event. I want to support you.”

“Um…”

She’s not sure what to say. “The tickets are expensive, and you’ve already tried the new blend.”

“Autumn,”

I say her name, “do you not want me there?”

I try not to let it get to me, but I’m getting really pissed at the thought.

“I didn’t say that,”

she says calmly.

“You also didn’t not say it.”

I pick up my burger, trying not to let it get to me.

“Fine, I’ll give you a ticket,”

she concedes softly, opening the drawer beside her and taking out something from her desk and handing it to me. “You get the first ticket.”

She places the ticket in front of me, and I see that it’s black and gold. “No, I’ll buy a ticket,”

I say. “I’ll pay Brady if you don’t want to take my money.”

“If I fight with you, will I win?” she asks.

“Baby,”

I call her the nickname I’ve been calling her more and more in private, “the only time you will win a fight is if we’re fighting about which bed to sleep in.”

Her cheeks get pink as she looks at the door to make sure it’s just the two of us. “Or what position you want me to fuck you in.”

She laughs. “Besides, I want two tickets.”

“You’re going to bring a date?”

she asks. I can see the color drain out of her face, and I just stare at her.

“I don’t know if Emmett will want to be called my date,”

I deadpan, without telling her there is no one I’m going to be fucking dating but her. “Is that okay?”

“Yes,”

she answers, the color coming back into her face as she closes her eyes. “I really need for this to work,”

she admits. “I’m exhausted.”

“I’m going to take these plates to the front.”

I get up and pick up the plates. “Then I’ll see if it’s busy, and if not, I’m taking you home.”

“Brady is just as tired,”

she states, trying to hide the yawn she’s fighting.

“Brady comes in at noon some days,”

I remind her. “Brady isn’t working eighteen hours a day.”

I walk out to the front and see only six people in tonight.

“Slow night?”

I say as I clean the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

“We were slammed all afternoon with three fucking tours. I even had to cook a couple of burgers,”

Brady explains. “I’m about to do last call.”

He looks at his watch. “It’s eight p.m. and it’s a Monday.”

I pull out two twenties and place them on the bar. “I’m going to take her out of here.”

I motion to the back, and he nods. He hasn’t said anything to me about the two of us, but I know he’s seen us a couple of times share a kiss in the back when we thought no one was there. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you,”

he says, and I walk in the back and find her with her head on the desk.

I walk to the side of the chair and bend to kiss her cheek. Her eyes flutter open. “Come on, baby, let’s go.”

She sits up, rubbing her eyes.

“Brady?”

she mumbles as I pull her up from her chair and grab her purse.

“He’s closing now,”

I inform her as we walk out the back door. I walk her to her side of the car, opening the door for her. “Get in.”

She looks up at me, and I can’t help it. I bend my head and kiss her lips. “How does a bath sound?”

I ask, and she moans in my arms. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I chuckle as she gets in the car, and I walk over to the driver’s side, get in, and make my way over to my house. She puts her head on the window, and she’s out like a light in two seconds.

“Where are we?”

she asks when I stop the car, and she opens her eyes.

“My house.”

I get out and am about to carry her inside, but she gets out and meets me at the front door. I don’t say anything to her as I walk in the house and head for my bathroom. I turn on the water and test it before walking over and grabbing one of the bath bombs I never use that are in a basket by the tub. She stands next to me as I sit at the corner of the tub.

“Are you coming in with me?”

She steps between my legs as I look up at her, her fingers pushing back the hair at the side of my head.

“Do you want me to come in with you?”

She nods as she crosses her arms in front of her and pulls off her T-shirt, throwing it to the side, followed by her jeans and then her bra and panties. She stands in front of me naked. My head bends forward to kiss her stomach. “Get in. I’ll get undressed.”

My clothes join hers as she gets in and I quickly step in, sitting in front of her.

She comes over to me and straddles my lap. “Thank you for running me a bath,”

she says softly, my arms wrapping around her. Her mouth finds mine at the same time she reaches between us and sinks down on me. My hands grip her waist as she rides me, my mouth coming down to her nipple, neither of us saying a word. Even when we get out of the tub and head to bed, she slides in and meets me in the middle. Her head is on my chest, and in no time, I feel her heavy weight on me. It doesn’t take me long to join her.

When the alarm rings, I’m on my stomach facing the bedside table. She’s draped over my back, and I smile as she cuddles into me for a couple of seconds before rolling away from me and getting out of bed. She heads to the bathroom and comes back out fully dressed. Coming to my side of the bed, she bends to kiss my lips. “Have a good day,”

she says, rushing out of my house before I even have a chance to get up.

I toss the cover off myself and get out of bed, grabbing my jeans from last night and my T-shirt before sending Emmett a text.

Me: I’ll be there late.

He answers with one word.

Emmett: Okay.

I walk out of the house and head toward the path that isn’t worn out anymore. There is even some grass growing where it was just dirt. I walk into the black cast-iron fence area, heading straight to her. “Hey.”

I look down at her tombstone. “I guess you’ve been wondering where I’ve been.”

I smile as the tears escape my eyes. “Or maybe you haven’t.”

I stare at her name engraved in the marble. “I’m in love with her.”

I expect the tightness in my chest to be so strong that it doesn’t let me breathe, but it’s not there. “I don’t know when it happened, but it did.”

I wait for the guilt to come, but again, it’s not there. “I don’t even know if she feels the same way about me, but I’m going to say it tonight.”

I decide. “I don’t even care if she loves me or not. I’ll take her any way I can have her. She’s the hardest-working person I know. She’s kind. She’s thoughtful. She’s funny.”

I smile. “I don’t have to tell you all this. You know how she is.”

I wipe the tears away from my face. “I want you to know that I will always love you.”

I take a deep inhale and exhale. “You’ll always own a piece of my heart. But I’ve learned that just because I love you doesn’t mean I can’t love her. Because, fuck, I do. God, I love her so much.”

My heart feels like it’s going to explode. “I fucking love her, and I’m not going to be sorry about that. I’m going to wake up every day thankful that I have her. Thankful I can look at myself in the mirror again. Thankful I don’t have to hide how I felt about you to her. She knows, but it’s time for her to have all of me. She probably won’t take all of me, that’s the kind of person she is. She’ll leave a part of me for you.”

I touch the headstone. “I’ll see you soon.”

I turn and head back to my house, knowing it’s time to finally have that talk and knowing I’m free to have it.